We periodically see this reply to sales posts here and elsewhere, but I must admit I have never understood the reasons for it. Are you encouraging other buyers to jump in quickly with competing offers? Trying to fend off competitors while you make a low-ball bid? Staking out your turf as the alpha buyer? What exactly do you hope to accomplish? Or maybe it's as simple as "buck fever".
Humor? [Maybe some people are bad about checking their PMs. On this forum, I find they are flagged really clearly and there is an email notification. On other forums, sometimes I don't even notice.]
In theory, it may have originated from an anxiety that someone may not see or check their inbox - so, alerting also on the sales thread intends to amplify the signal. I think this was more likely on other platforms where PMs where not always subject to the same user notifications or obviousness in the interface. Here, PM notifications are just as obvious as thread posts, so - it may reduce to “buck fever” or “forum habit”
Also mail boxes show more recent messages first, with earliest messages being pushed down. So it’s also a way of emphasizing the timing of the response.
Correct etiquette is OHPF, in case the buyer flakes, or comes to his senses after 'the talk' with the wifey.
I find it humorous, I mostly see it with 'transient' members here on OF who are active on other Rolex forums. I personally, think it's unnecessary and tacky. How desperate can one really be in buying a watch??
I suppose some of that logic makes sense re. notifications etc and perhaps an artifact of "bulletin board" days gone by. My assumption is sellers want to sell the item, and are regularly checking for offers/questions/respnses. Messaging/notifications/emails are time stamped anyway, and if a seller is not taking note of response order, a public post isn't likely to help. Most likely outcome IMHO is enhancing FOMO and upping competition. Maybe I'll go put up a few "PM sent" posts but not follow through, that might be amusing anyway.
Could also be the virtual string around the finger. A reminder ... Who knows? If it works for some .... ok
Well that’s your opinion man! I do it to denote I’m the one buying it and give visual support of the seller. Also putting it on record I’m the one buying it, in case of future interest. Too many watches get sold to members and most times we never have a record of who purchased it. I have also gone back into old sales posts and entered information about the watches I’ve uncovered since I purchased it. This is because a few pieces are so poorly documented the sales post is the top result. Sometimes over a year later.
On one occasion I Pm’d a seller about a watch strap I wanted to buy. A few days later he sent a message saying he had not noticed my message and sold it to someone who enquired after myself. (Obviously the other message was above mine in the inbox list and he sold the strap before seeing my message) I think putting a message on the sales thread might be a sensible way of alerting the seller that you are interested in buying the watch. i don’t think there is anything more to it than that.
I suppose it might be considered the next stage nearer buying than 'dibs', in a "I am the first in the queue" kind of a way, perhaps to discourage others.
Good point @Foo2rama which helps show members working together on OF. Also ... This week I had the PM sent put in my FS listing which I otherwise would not see, because the PM came to me hours later. So the guy who wrote PM sent in the listing got the watch.
it does make sense in case someone else bids and get attention first. This way you claim you had first dibs. It's not that bad a practice really.